The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-02-18
THE SCIENCE OF THE PEN.

How to Tell Peculiarities OF People b,
Their Penmanship-Flourish
That the handwriting has certain marke'
characteristics in every individual, and tina
these characteristics, properly examined ant
interpreted according to given rules ant
methods, will tell us more concerning the in
dividual character of the writer, is an estab
lished fact, and the tabulation Of these rule
and of this method is now complete in tn
works of such acknowledged authorities o.
Rosa Baughan, Liable Flandrin ant
| Adolphe Henzc. Adrien Dcsbarrolles in hi
major work has devoted some 200 pages tt
this branch of tho science Of tho hand, be-
sides being tho author of q standard work or
the subjects, so that graphology, or, as it Il
sometimes called, "grammatomancy, " boasts
literature Of its own that it is not my in
tention to supplement in this place. 1.-THE
moro I compare different handwritings,"
says Lavater, "thc more am convinced that
handwriting is tho expression Of the charac-
ter of him who writes Each nation has its
national character Of writing as tho physiog-
nomy Of each people expresses the most
salient points of character in the nation"
and I may quote tho remark of Rosa
Baughan: "That the handwriting really re-
fleets the personality Of tho writer is evident
from the fact THAI it alters and develops with
the intelligence, that it becomes firm when
the character strengthens, weak and feeble
when the person who writes it is i'll or
agitated, and erratic when he is under the
influence Of great joy, grief or any other
passion.
Writing which has tendency to ascend
toward the end Of the lines denotes always
ambition, prosperity and success, while writ
ing which, on the contrary, has tendency
to descend betrays melancholy, i'll health and
taciturnity. If writing which descends
thus is disjointed and interspersed with mean
ingless ornament it is sign of tendency
toward madness. Flourishes are always bad,
denoting vanity, concei6 and self assertion,
while peculiarly formed letters denote in
obviously-eccentricity.
More can be told by the observation of
single letters, especially capitals, than any
thing else. Thus capital A denotes great
sense of beauty, and strong will is shown in
the strong barring. When the bar is loop
there is the same sense of beauty but less
will. The script capital A shows simplicity
and clearness Of ideas. A looped d shows
tenderness and generosity, while the Greek
d or d indicates eccentricity and imagina-
ton.
An F with flying top betrays magma
lion and Indifference, while curly ono
shows cultivation and sensitive mind A
curly H shows poetry and art, and curly l
gives grace and sense of beauty but the
straight, like BroCier Hates and Oscar
Wilde's, gives higher and more precised
nature to artistic instinct and increases the
poetic faculty These instances arc sufficient
in this place for others I must refer you
to Miss Rosa Baughan's excellent work,
quoted above, to which am indebted for
these examples.
Disproportionate loops betray self asserr
tion, look out for them in letters like and
l. and Y. Letters stopping short at their
finals show economy, long or extended
finals with spaces between the words indi-
cate generosity, if not extravaganza. In
ward curves denotes cgotis1n.
Stops arc also more distinctive. Heavy
and black, they betray sensuality; long, they
lenote vivacity and originality. An dotted
with fieck indicates recklessness. Absence
If stops shows want of caution and an I'M
nature.
Take care then, o my brethren, of 1.-THE
Settle of Odd Volumes" lest you recklessly
oetray your vices in an invitation to dinner,
'r confess your blacklist crimes in the pages
If birthday book, as-au revoir. Yours
Ed. Heron-Allen in New
Y Ork Mail and EXPRESS